Curtain-fixture.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904. BY, J1. CURTAIN FIXTURE.

on FILED 00112, 1903.

J. KIR

adapted for use in connection with curtains object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and

manipulator.

UNITED STATES.

Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFF-ICE.

JOHN KIRBY, J R., OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAYTON MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,675, dated March 29, 1904.

Application filed October 12, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KIRBY, Jr. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Dayton, in'the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to fixtures for that class of curtains which are mounted on springrollers by which they are :wound up; and its efli'cient device for controlling the movement of the curtain against the action of the springroller when unwound or partially unwound and drawn down over the window and whereby it will be held in a predetermined position when suddenly released'by the hand of the The invention,while being applicableto curtains for various. uses, is more particularly used in railroad-cars; and it consists in a slotted spring-tube located vertically at each side of the opening in which the curtain is located in conjunction with arms at the lower end of the curtain adapted to slide in the said slotted tubes, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a broken perspectiveview showing one side of a car'- window provided with a curtain having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing its application to open or summer street-railway cars. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section through line at a: of Fig. '1, and Fig. 4 a modification of the bottom curtain-rod and extensions thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A represents the framework of an ordinary car-window; B, one of the side posts of an or- Serial No. 176,702. (No model.)

dinary open street-car; O, acurtain, and D the ordinary spring-actuated roller upon which the curtain is mounted and upon which it is woundand unwound in the usual manner.

E represents a slotted spring-tube, preferably drawn or otherwise formed to the shape shown. One of these tubes is secured to each side of the window-frame or to each side of the posts forming the openings in the sides of summer-cars and extends from ornear the bottom of the frame or opening to'a point near the spring-roller, which is mounted in the frame or opening, at the top thereof. At the bottom of the curtain there is a rod F, secured. thereto and preferably incased by a suitable binding G. This rod may be solid, with bored ends, as shown in Fig. 1, or it may be a hollow tube,'as shown in Fig. 2, and it is provided at each end with extensions or arms H. These arms may form part of the rod itself, as shown in Fig. 4, or they may be separate pieces movable horizontally in the ends of the rod, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I prefervthe latter construction, for the reason that when so constructed the arms will adjust themselves to any variation there may be in the width of the opening's and because less care need be exercised in making the fixture to suit any given-size opening. These arms have their outer ends formed with enlarged elongated heads I, which correspond somewhat to the shape of the tubes in which they are adapted to slide, and between the heads I and the ends of the rod F there is a flattened portion J, which operates in the slots K of the tubes E and which is slightly thicker "than the width 'of the said slots, so as to force the opening and cause the-' tubes, which are made of spring material, to exertsufficient tension on the arms to overcome the power of the spring-roller, and thus hold the curtain in any position which may be desired.

When the tubes and the spring-roller,with the curtain mounted thereon, are in place, as hereinbefore described, the' arms F can be inserted into the slots of the tubes and the curtain raised or lowered at'will by simply pushing it up or pulling it down, either operation being performed by taking hold of the curtain at the bottom thereof,no objectionable catches or levers of any kind being required in its manipulation.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be observed that bars L are arranged at intervals across the curtain and extend into the slots K,wherein they are free to work freely and without tension upon them,and they serve the purpose of preventing the wind from interfering with the proper function of the curtain when used for the purpose of closing the openings in open cars to protect passengers against the elements.

It is obvious that the particular form of the tubes and arms which I have shown and described may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore do not limit the invention to such particular forms.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of a spring-roller provided with a curtain one end of which is attached thereto and which is adapted to automatically wind thereon and to be unwound by hand in the usual manner, a rod attached to and extending across the free end of the curtain and extending beyond the edges thereof, and a longitudinally-slotted resilient tube attached to a suitable support adjacent to each edge of the curtain, the extending ends of said rod being adapted to enter and traverse the longitudinal slots of said tubes and being thicker than the normal width of the slots, thus forcing them to expand and accommodate themselves thereto as the ends of the rods are raised or lowered therein, and whereby the tubes are caused to exert suflicient pressure upon the same to retain said rod at any desired height within the range of the tubes against the action of the spring-roller upon which the curtain is mounted.

2. In a curtainfixture,the combination with a spring-actuated roller having a curtain attached thereto adapted to wind and unwind thereon, of a slotted spring-tube attached to a suitable support adjacent to each edge of the curtain, a rod having hollow ends attached to the free end of the curtain, arms movablein said hollow ends of said rod adapted to traverse the interior of said tubes and to be acted upon by spring-pressure exerted thereby whereby the curtain will be held at any desired point within the longitudinal range thereof against the action of the spring-roller upon which it is mounted.

3. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a spring-actuated roller having a curtain attached thereto adapted to wind and unwind thereon, of a slotted spring-tube attached to a suitable support adjacent to each edge of the curtain, a rod having hollow ends attached to the free end of the curtain, arms movable in said hollow ends of said rod having flattened portions adapted to traverse the slots of said tubes and to be acted upon by spring-pressure exerted thereby whereby the curtain will be held at any desired point within the range of said slots against the action of the springroller upon which it is mounted.

4. In a curtain-fixture,the combination with a spring-actuated roller having a curtain attached thereto adapted to Wind and unwind thereon, of a slotted spring-tube attached to a suitable support adjacent to each edge of the curtain, a rod having hollow ends attached to the free end of the curtain, arms movable in said hollow ends of said rod having flattened portions adapted to traverse the slots of said tubes and enlarged heads adapted to, traverse the interior thereof, the said flattened portions being acted upon by spring-pressure exerted by said tubes whereby the curtain will be heldat any desired point within the range thereof against the action of the spring-roller upon which it is mounted.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of October, 1903.

JOHN KIRBY, JR.

Witnesses:

JNo. I. UNDERWOOD, H. D. HENDRICK. 

